Nothing impacts children’s learning more than the quality of teaching. In Sierra Leone, a west African country that has been ravaged by civil war and Ebola, a lot of hope is being placed in the education system. Yet, less than half of primary school teachers have any formal teaching qualifications. At CODE, we want to help change that by offering scholarships to motivated young women who aspire to positively impact children’s lives as teachers. We’re a Canadian international development charity focused uniquely on promoting quality education and literacy. For the last 60 years we’ve been working towards a vision of a world where every child can realize their potential as literate, empowered and self-reliant citizens. Listen to learn more about education in Sierra Leone and how you can help.
Our host Emily Prashad interviews Dr. Johanna Kuyvenhoven who is a reading specialist and the lead at CODE in Sierra Leone.
In this mini episode we talk about the short and long term impacts that having more qualified female teachers will make.
For all the information on the scholarship program please visit our website.
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We are located at 321 Chapel Street Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 7Z2. 1-800-661-2633. info@code.ngo
This is Emily Prashad, and you're listening to a CODE mini podcast where we aim to provide you with interesting insights and perspective on the global literacy and learning crisis one question and one answer at a time.
Today, I'm speaking with Dr. Johanna Kuyvenhoven CODE Sierra Leone country lead. She’s spent 40 years in the education sector and 20 years working in Sierra Leone. Dr Jo welcome.
Oh, thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here with you.
How do you think that by having more qualified women teachers will help keep girls in school?
The barriers are significant from very tough home situations that don't allow study time to low expectations in the classroom. And these classrooms are sometimes quite unfriendly to young women. They experience a lot of pressure for early marriage and economic activities for household support. They would be that person who would urge girls in the classroom to be their best. There'll be role models who are going to push them forward towards their fulsome capacity and towards possibility for independence and for the good of their communities.
So a woman can recognize and respond to smaller and bigger events of gender-based violence for example such as harassment that’s verbal to actual unwanted physical interference. These aren’t uncommon. And a female teacher is going to recognize comments and events that diminish female participation in the classroom. Female teachers will give empathetic support and advocacy for hygienic private needs that girls have in their early menses. And imagine having a trained teacher, actively fighting gender bias and low expectations in your classroom. It’s not to say that men cannot or would not be gender champions. I know very many Sierra Leone men who are exactly that. There are men who can similarly ensure a classroom in gender bias free, however, there is a difference in the experience of having someone who perfectly understands the challenges faced by a girl in class six, a girl on the cusp of going into home community traditional life or daring to take a mostly unknown step to dream and prepare for another kind of participation in their communities.
Thank you, Dr. Jo, stay tuned for more CODE mini podcasts and if you're interested to learn more about our efforts to promote every child's right to learn and read, please visit us online at www.code.ngo